by Jake Ward, Business Development Director, Groovy Gecko
Over the last 12 months we have seen significant growth in 360 video. From live events to on demand there is no denying that there is a consumer appetite for it. 360 video offers the consumer a genuine immersive experience and unlike Virtual Reality there is no need for the end user to go out and buy any special equipment: it can be accessible now on mobile and tablet while being enhanced by even low end VR headsets.
Jake Ward, Business Development Director, Groovy Gecko
However, 360 is still it is infancy, which means that there are currently no rules. We are seeing a number of experiments with content creators trying things and seeing what works, as well as what doesn't. It is also about deciding which events lend themselves to this kind of viewing and, more importantly, where to place the camera or cameras to get the best experience.
In July this year we were a part of testing the technology out at a football match, with a friendly between Huddersfield and Liverpool FC filmed in 360 from the half way line. The goal, (excuse the pun), was to see how it could work as a user experience and help decide how many cameras would be needed. The consensus of opinion was a minimum of 4 cameras. With over 92,000 viewers, it would seem that there is certainly a potential audience out there. Football obviously is played over a large area with many players and a large audience present so what makes sense here may not be universally applicable.
In December 2015, GoPro released a video with trials cyclist, Danny MacAskill riding roof tops in Gran Canaria. The video entitled Cascadia has nearly 17million views. The video was released a month later and despite very little publicity had almost a quarter or a million views. This type of experience follows one player, in this case Danny MacAskill, and tries to capture the jaw dropping experience of life and death riding. The single camera was positioned on the helmet so in affect the audience can see what Danny sees. There is no crowd to be part of, but you do feel part of the action.
Formula E, the electronic car version of Formula 1 use 360 cameras mounted on the top of some of the cars. The viewer can ride along with their favourite driver and get right in amongst the action.
Multiple cameras around the track mean replays of the action could be viewed from any angle. In a world where the audience are also self-appointed referees, why should they only be able to watch what the director wants you to watch? In this case you wouldn't necessarily feel part of the crowd, but more of a privileged viewer. However, as the tracks are essentially massive loops, the cameras could be mounted at key points to capture the action as if you were there.
There are many sports and events where the action is happening in multiple places simultaneously. Take the music festival at Glastonbury, how amazing would it be if you could feel like you were in the crowd, but without the mud and the pushing. Because, as much as it seems like all the action is on the stage, the performers are interacting with the crowd and as a viewer It would be great to be able to turn around and soak up the atmosphere.
I'm not saying viewing 360 is for everyone nor am I saying that it's appropriate for every event. That said, there is a generation of millennials used to technology and constantly looking for a more immersive, interactive experience. With VR headsets still expensive, they are looking to 360 to get some of that functionality cheaply and effective with Google Cardboard and the upcoming Daydream offering a cheap entry point.
Viewing figures suggest there is a clear appetite for a more interactive viewing experience, and I believe there is a demand for more quality content. It is now up to the content producers to produce better, more interactive programs that allow the viewer to really experience the event.
This year the Olympic games were hailed as the online Olympics with more and more of us watching online and choosing the sport they wanted to see. 90% of Brazilians watched it on their mobile devices[1]. With statistics like that it's clear that viewing habits are evolving, so will 2020 be the year of the 360 Olympics? In fact the BBC already did a number of experimental event broadcasts using the tech through a specialised app.
With so many possibilities it can be overwhelming for the audience to make these choices. Much like a child in an ice-cream shop dazzled by the shear level of choice, unable to choose out of fear of choosing the wrong one, the audience are at liberty to choose the wrong viewing angle or spend too much time bouncing from one angle to the next that they miss the essence of the event.
We don't go into a restaurant to be faced with a massive selection of ingredients and told we can make anything we want. We expect the chef, who is after all a master at making the best from the ingredients, to choose for us and give us just a few options.
So when it comes to 360 viewing, content providers need to consider whether to give the viewers everything and let them choose or do we serve up a menu of a few options?
[1] http://www.sportslatam.com/web/index.php/en/news/digital-en/item/667-90-of-latin-americans-used-smartphones-to-watch-rio-2016#.V_Oh1JMrJYI
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
by Jake Ward, Business Development Director, Groovy Gecko
